Sergeant Gregory Scott Waldron

As an advocate for sexual assault victims, Sergeant Gregory Waldron has built and strengthened a unique partnership between law enforcement and the victims' community. 

Sergeant Waldron began working on behalf of sexual assault victims when he became head of the Arlington (Texas) Police Department's Family Violence/Sex Crimes Unit in 2001. As such, he assumed responsibility for implementing a new agreement between the department and the Women's Center's Rape Crisis and Victim Services Program that placed a rape crisis therapist in the criminal investigator's unit 1 day a week. 

Since assuming leadership of the unit, Sergeant Waldron has frequently called on the therapist to help his staff approach victims and attend statements. 

He often has victims debrief with the therapist before leaving the station. Not only has Sergeant Waldron frequently called on the expertise of the therapist and staff of the Women's Center, he also makes himself available at the center 1 day a month to answer questions about the criminal justice system from both victims and staff. 

He has also used his position to improve the system's response to sexual assault victims. In one case, he contacted a neighboring police department about progress on a case involving a 13-year-old who had given birth as the result of a sexual assault. In another, he helped find an attorney to nullify a request by an alleged rapist who, while legally representing himself, subpoenaed a therapist to appear for a deposition at his house. 

A winner of the Purple Heart and Medal of Honor, Sergeant Waldron is regarded by his peers as a model of compassion. In the words of one of his peers, his work is a reminder that justice "may not always come in the form of a suspect apprehended or a perfect prosecution; for some victims, it may come in the form of a sensitive interview or in a detective going the extra mile on a case."